Sick of your lazy, cheating spouse? Ready to dump your nagging girlfriend? Don't give up - they can be changed. A growing list of personality traits has been linked to individual genes, and scientists are finding ways to tweak them. Yes, this stuff is largely experimental, but someday DNA could save your relationship. So, young lovers, are you ready to skip couples counseling and go straight to gene therapy? Here are some behaviors ripe for reengineering.
How to Cure …
Procrastination
By switching off a single gene in the brain, scientists turned procrastinating monkeys into eager workaholics. The gene, which makes neurons more sensitive to dopamine, helps monkeys predict when they will be rewarded - prompting them to slack off when the reward is far away. Turn that mechanism off, and the monkeys work hard all the time, and make fewer mistakes.
Aggressiveness
Nobody wants a mate who's always picking fights or flipping people off while driving. Reprogram that behavior by lengthening the gene for monoamine oxidase A, which chews up excess neurotransmitters that can trigger, oh, a murderous rage. Lab mice bred without the gene live by a simple code: Attack now, ask questions later.
Timidity
A fainthearted fiancé can throw a big wet blanket on your honeymoon plans for a tandem skydive. Scientists have linked the problem to the presence of repeating sequences flanking the dopamine D4 receptor gene. The junk DNA interferes with the receptor's activity and seems to inhibit thrill seeking. Lose the extra code, and the two of you can bungee into the sunset.é
Neuroses
It seems that people with a short version of the transporter gene aren't able to recycle serotonin efficiently - making them tense, anxious, and suspicious. Splice in a different variant to get a partner who's self-confident and calm. At least that's the theory. So far, researchers have only been able to correlate the short version of the gene with neuroses.
Philandering
Male meadow voles - a promiscuous set - quit sleeping around after receiving a gene from their monogamous cousin the prairie vole. The gene controls the number of vasopressin receptors in the brain. Once meadow voles had the same density of vasopressin receptors, they gave up wandering and became loyal mates.
- Jennifer Kahn
credit: Stephen Rountree
START
The Amazing Adventures of 802.11
Keep Your Laws Off My Technology
Not Just Another Hollywood Bandshell
Extreme Personality Makeover
